WEBVTT
PPOLICE CAN'T FIND HIM.
PA TEENAGER SAYS A CREEPY CLOWN
PSIGHTING QUICKLY ESCALATED,
PAFTER SHE TOOK THIS VIDEO.
PYOU CAN SEE SOMEONE DRESSED IN A
PMASK AND WIG IN THIS MOVIE
PTHEATER PARKING LOT.
PNEXT, THE TEEN CLAIMS HE
PFOLLOWED HER AS SHE TRIED TO
PDRIVE AWAY.
PACTION 7 NEWS REPORTER KIRSTEN
PSWANSON IS LIVE IN RIO RANCHO,
PNEAR SOUTHERN AND UNSER WHERE IT
PHAPPENED.
PKIRSTEN?
PTHURSDAY: --
PKIRSTEN: SHELLY, THAT TEEN WAS
PWITH HER FRIEND HEADED TO A LATE
PNIGHT SHOWING OF THE BLAIR WITCH
PPROJECT.
PSHE STARTED TO GET OUT OF HER
PCAR WHEN THE MASKED CLOWN PULLED
PUP IN FRONT HER AND SHE
PPANICKED.
PRAQUALLE BRAINARD SAYS LIKE MANY
POF HER PEERS, SHE'S A BIG FAN OF
PTHESE CREEPY CLOWN VIDEOS.
PTHAT IS UNTIL THE 18-YEAR-OLD
PFOUND HERSELF THE STAR OF ONE.
P>> I DON'T WATCH THEM ANYMORE.
PIT IS NOT FUNNY ANYMORE.
PKIRSTEN: EARLIER THIS MONTH,
PBRAINARD AND FRIEND CAME TO
PPREMIERE CINEMAS ON UNSER AND
PSOUTHERN IN RIO RANCHO.
P>> I SAW THE CLOWN WITH THE WET
PFACE IN RED HAIR.
PKIRSTEN: SHE PULLED HER PHONE
POUT AND STARTED TO RECORD
PBRAINARD SAYS IN THE VIDEO YOU
PCAN SEE THE CLOWN STARE THEM
PDOWN AS THEY DRIVE AROUND THE
PPARKING LOT.
P>> IT WAS LIKE, WOW, HE WAS
PMOTIVATED TO FREAK SOMEONE OUT.
PKIRSTEN: BUT AS THEY NAVIGATED
PTHROUGH THE SPACES SHE SAYS THE
PCLOWN STARTED TO FOLLOW THEM.
P>> IT WAS PROBABLY 10 MINUTES.
PHE BLOCKED US IN THE PARKING
PLOT, FOLLOWED US --
P>> SO SHE CALLED 911.
PBRAINARD AND HER FRIEND DROVE IN
PAND OUT OF NEIGHBORHOODS OFF OF
PUNSER UNTIL THEY MANAGED TO LOSE
PTHE TAIL.
PTHEN SHE SAYS SHE CALLED HER
PMOM, PATTI.
P THAT WAS A SCARY PHONE CALL
PTO GET FROM MY DAUGHTER.
PKIRSTEN: PATTI SAYS WITH
PHALLOWEEN JUST TWO WEEKS AWAY
PPEOPLE NEED TO BE AWARE OF THIS
PCLOWN CRAZE AND REACT JUST LIKE
PHER DAUGTHER DID.
P>> THE BEST THING SHE DID WAS
PGETTING HER CAR, LOCK THE DOORS
PAND CALL THE POLICE AND GET
PAWAY.
PKIRSTEN: POLICE DIDN'T END UP
PTAKING A REPORT ON THIS
PINCIDENT.
PTHEY SAY IT'S NOT ILLEGAL TO
PDRESS UP AND WEAR MASKS
PPUBLIC
PBUT SAY IF YOU FEEL THREATEN
POR NOTICE A WEAPON OF ANY CALL

As they navigated through the spaces in the parking lot, she said the clown got into a car and started to follow them.

“It was probably 10 minutes,” she said. “He blocked us in the parking lot, followed us through, then out to Unser.”

She called 911 right away. Brainard said she and her friend drove in and out of neighborhoods near the theater while she was on the phone with the dispatcher. She said eventually they managed to lose the tail.

Then Brainard said she called her mom Patti.

“That was a very scary phone call to get from my daughter,” Patti Brainard said.

Patti said with Halloween just two weeks away, people need to be aware of this “clown craze,” and suggest that if people are approached or engaged by a clown they react just like her daughter did.

“The best thing she did was get in her car, lock the doors and get away and call the police,” Patti Brainard said.

Rio Rancho police didn’t end up taking a report on this incident, saying it’s not illegal to dress up and wear masks in public.

But officers do say if people feel threatened or notice the individual in question has a weapon, they should call 911.